Process of coloring motion pictures



` Vsubstance that carries the sensitive material.

Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oF FICE.

ARTURO HERNANDEZ-MEJIA, 0F NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK; MARGARET N. `HER- NANDEZ, ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID ARTURO HERNAN DEZ-MEJIA, DECEASED,ASSIGNOR TO COLORGRAPH LABORATORY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA-TION OF NEW YORK.

PROCESS 0F COLORING MOTION PICTURES.

Application tiled January 16, 1919. Serial No. 271,359.

To all whom t may concern.' n

Be itl known that I, ARTURO HERNANDEZ- MEJLA, a citizen of the Republicof Venezuela, vand resident of New Rochelle, in the county ofWestchester and State-ofl New York, have invented a certainnew-anduseful Process of Coloring Motion Pictures, of which thefollowing is `a specification.

This invention relates to the art of making photographic transparencies,or pictures', of motion, or still life, in single printsl orA ribbons orfilms, and more particularly to a method, of coloring the silver orother images, by' substituting another product for f the reduced silver0r silver ghalid.

The invention has for its object simplifying the usual lengthyoperations heretofore necessary tochange the color of the silver imagein photographic transparencies, more particularly in the case of tihnsdouble coated or coated on both sides, for subtractive processes ofnatural color rejection, wherein the color is usually'on t e .tilm itjself. 'It is one of the processes utilized by me in practicing my PatentNo. 1,174,144, issued March 7 1916 wherein a double coated film visdescribedand iirst used for this purpose. The invention will beunderstood by refer,- Ience to the annexed drawings in which,-

Fig. 1 shows a vperspectiveview of the transparency constituting theinvention.

-Figs 2, 3, and 4 show differently colored sections of double coatedmotion picture films, with the supports. that carry the sensitivematerial being shown as curled away from the, base ot the film, forclearness of illustration. A f

Fig` 5 shows a double coated motion ic-4 .ture film, wherein threecolorsare utihzed on' each side of the Iilm. y The transparency 1, Fig.1, comprises a base a, of Celluloid or any other transparent substance,having coatings or supports b, c conslstmgof gelatmeor similar Eachsideof the transparency has thereon 4an image, which images constitute colorrecords `taken .through complementary screens and are in register witheach other, :1s-described in my Patent No. 1,174,144.

All known methods of changing the silver into a colored compound, can beused in images, the same connection with this invention, the principalfeature of which is the coloring of both sides of a n to one monotone orsingle color, and then, either protecting one side, and immerslng theentire film in the chemical sol-utions which changes the color of theother side to another color, or a lying the color changer to one sideonly@ e one the color of w the other side colored as originally.

For this purpose I take advanta e of the fact thatmanyv coloredsubstances ave the propertyv of changing their color when sub- )ected tothe oxidizing and other actions of various chemicals.

As for example, I ind that by using the well known intensifying and.coloring properties of certain metals, for instance uranium (thechloride or the nitrate) and copper (the sulphate or the chloride) inIcombination with alkali ferricyanide (potaschange the silorange color,according to the length of inimers'ion, while if the lm, dry or wet, is

then subjected to a bath of another 'metallic salt in solution, (ferriechloride, for Vinstance), the image will turn blue, blue-green or green,accordin to length of action of the metallic chloride, and subsequenttreatments. The action in this exam le, is very rapid, and furnishesmeans of spraying, brushing or contact applications locally, of themetallic chloride or other color changer to the silver and uraniumferrocyanide or similar image, which instantlychangesi its color.

When the coloring operation is conducted by means of dyes, on bleachedor mordanted rationale is followed. For lnstance; when the`double-coated film is bleached by immersion in potassium iodidesolution, the images on both sides rendered mordanted to readily formwith basic or.

This is certain `acid dyes, a color lake. better shown by way of simpleillustrations,

lin Figs. 2,3 and 4, where the steps are as both sides on commercial'ich it is desired to change), leaving in iodide,

tion is suitable) ot a yellow basic dye (ain-amine for instance), bothimages are now converted into yellow areas corresponding to the greateror lesser densities of the photographic image. In Fig. 3, the image otlcoating c is still yellow, while the nuage ot coating b is nowgreen.This is accomplished by spraying, brushing, padding, rolling orlocally'applying color tormers, that will convert the yellow image oncoating to a green image; 'for this purpose a strong (3%) solution of abasic or acid dye, which has atiinity for auramine is used. methyleneblue, will serve as a good example ot' this group ot' dyes which havethe properties ot' being absorbed by the -mordanted surfaces, rapidlyand thoroughly', and at the same time having little action on thegelatine. or other coating of the commercial positive tilnr,l leavingsame quite clear on short washing inwater, more particularly itacidulated, (acetic 'acid serves very well). ln Fig. 4, the image oncoating c is shown of a red color, and this is accomplished in one ottwo ways. Either the lilm of Fig. 3 is treated onthe c side, to convertthe yellow image therein to a red color, by application ot' a red dyethat has aitinity for auramine, (as examples, rhodamines, szti'ranines,tuehsines) or the film of Fig. i is-iirst mordanted, immersed in reddyes, (rhodan'iines, satiranines otl tuchsines, for instance) and thensubjected to' local' treatment to change the red image to a green image,as described for Fig. 3 above.

'hile these descriptions are given as relating to single areas on bothsides ot a lihn, they are equally applic-able to any tilm coloring, suchas consecutive or successive images, of the same colors or of differentcolors, on one side, or on both sides, or where the images are situatedlaterally, or horizontally, or successively or vertically placed intheir sequence, the main feature of the invention being to color allthe'areas in a monotone and then change the color ot any particulararea, no matter where situated, by local applications ot a differentcolor former, in cont adistinction ot present methods where it isgenerally thepractice to apply each different color'to the area.selected by means ot protective coatings or mechanical appliances toprevent chemical action on the untreated side or area necessitating aseries of coatings, dyeing, removal ot one coating, dyeing a secondtime, another Vcoating and long immersions and ,washings between eachoperation which impairs the delicatcisurfaces ot commercial positivefilms. and consumes time and labor unnecessarily.

As a particular instance of the usefulness of this invention, thecoloring of double For instance, malacliite green orl Methyl violetcoated tihn for substr-active and additive (combined) projection, on thethree color basis, is'shownin Fig. 5. All the seven images shown wereoriginally colored yelthen local application ot blue color changers andred color changers, only two operations and washings were necessary tokfirst color, it was done as an example, as it l is obvious that anysequence ot' coloring is nacticable.

T he following are some ot the dyes which l have tried successively,although there are many others, and many new ones are constantly heiligadded by the color manufacturers, in this country and abroad.

List.

Saitranine Rhodamine B l `uchsene Xylene red li Magenta M ethyl andMalachite Crystal violet Green Victoria blue B nramine Methylene bluesPyronin Methylene green Acridine red Brilliant Thionin blue EmeraldDiamond, and Victoria greens Eosi ne group ot dyes Erythrosine Bose.bengal lhloxine and manine.

Methyline yellow Xylene red Acridinc orange (hrysoidine Rhodamine 6 ("rines, azo green, liourescein, irisamine, galleine and caeruline andbanzyl violet.

In the descriptions herein preference has been given to silver images,which are at present the most practised methods ot' producingphotographic records, but it can be readily seen that the invention isnot limited low by the methods described above, and

ll() f to those salts only. Images produced by bichromatizing gelatineand exposing to light, or any other photographic method which is capableof being colored wholly in a monotone color, and then selected areasbeing changed to another color, are all iii cluded and can be used inand with this invention.

Having thus desciibed my invention, I claim 1. A photographic processcomprising imprinting, in alignment, upon opposite sides ot'light-transmissive material, sensitized upon both sides, two images fromnegatives of the same object, from one of which negatives certain colorsensations have been omitted and from the other of which other,complementary, color sensations have been omitted, develo ing and fixingsaid images, toning both o thesame to a color coi responding to thesensations omitted from one of said negatives, and applying tto one sideof said material a toning solution adapted to turn the image on saidside from such color to a color corresponding to the sensations omittedfrom the negative from which was imprinted the image on saidside.

2. A photographic process comprising imprinting, in alignment, uponopposite sides of light-transmissive material, sensitized upon bothsides, two images from negatives of' the same object, one taken througha green filter and the other taken through a red filter, developing andfixing said images, immersing the material in a uranium toning solution,to tone both images red, fixing and washing the same, andapplying to theside of said material on which the second of said images wasiinprinted,a toning solution containing ferrie salts, adapted to turn the image onsaid side from red to green.

3. A photographic process comprising imprinting, in alignment, uponopposite sides ot' light-transmissive material, sensitized upon bothsides, two images from negatives of the saine object, one taken througha green iilter and the other. taken through: a red filter, developingand fixin ing both of the same re and applying to the side of saidmaterial on which was imprinted the image from the negative takenthrough the red filter, a toning solution adapted to turn thev image onsaid side from i red to green.

4. A double coated photographictransparency having two same objectprinted 1n alignment upon its opposite sides, one of said images beingprinted from a negative from which certain color sensations have beenomitted, the other of said images being printed from a negative fromwhich other, complementary, color sensations have been omitted, one ofsaid images being of a compound having a color corresponding to thesensations omitted from said images, tonositive images of the one ofsaid negatives, and the other of said images being of a compound formedby the reaction of said former compound and auother substance and of acolor corresponding to the sensations omitted from the negative fromwhich this image was printed. i

5. A double coated photo-graphic transpar ency having two positiveimages of' the saine object printed in alignment upon its oppositesides, one of said images being printed from a neglative taken through agreen filter and the ot er being printed from a negative taken through ared filter, one of said images being of a compound having a red color,and the other of said images being of a green colored compound formed bythe reaction of said former compound and another substance.

6. A double coated photographic transpareiicy having two positive imagesof the same object printed in alignment upon its opposite sides, one ofsaid images being printed from a negative taken through a green filterand the other being printed yfrom a negative taken through a redtilt-er, one of said images being of a red colored compound formed froma ui'aninum solution, and the other ot' said images being of a greencolored coinponnd formed by the reaction of said former compound and aferrie solution.

7. A photographic process comprising imprinting, in alignment, uponopposite sides of lighttransmissive material, sensitized upon bothsides, two images from negatives of the same object, from one of whichnegatives certain color sensations have been omitted and from the otherof which other color sensations have been omitted, developing and fixingsaid images, toning both of the same to a color corresponding to thesensations omitted from one of said negatives, and applying to one sideof said matcrial a toning solution adapted to turn the image on saidside from such color to a color corresponding to the sensations omittedfrom the negative from which was imprinted the image on said side. i

8. A photographic process comprising iinprinting, in alignment, uponopposite sides of livht-transmissive material, sensitized upon bothsides, two images from negatives of the saine object, toning both of thesides to one color, and applying ,to one of the sides a toning solutionadapted to,turn the image on said side to a diiferentcolor.

9. A photographic process comprising imprinting, in alignment, upon oposite sides of light-transmissive material), sensitized upon oth sides,two images from negatives of the same object, toning both of the sidesto one color, and applying. to one of the sides a toning solution aapted to turn the image on said side to a complementary color.

10. A photographic process comprising imprinting, in alignment, uponopposite sides of li ht-transmissive material, sensitized upon othsides, two images from negatives of the same object, toning both of saidsides red, and applying to one of the sides a tonin solution adapted to,turn the image on said side from red to green.

11. A photographic process comprising imprinting, in alignment, uponopposite sides of light transmissive material, sensitized upon bothsides, two images from negatives of the same object, immersing thematerial in a uranium toning solution, to tone both images red, andapplying to the side ot said 'material on which the second of saidimages was imprinted, a toning solution containing ferrie salts, adaptedto turn thel image on said side from red to green.

12. A double coated photographic transparency having two ositive imagesof the same object printed 1n alignment upon its opposite sides, one ofsaid images being printed from a negative from which certain colorsensations have been omitted, the other of saidimages being printed froma negative from which other color sensations have been omitted, one ofsaid images being of a compound having a color corresponding to thesensations omitted from one ot' said negatives, and the other of saidimages being of a compound formed by the reaction of said formercompound and another substance and of a color corresponding to the.

color formed by the reaction of said foi-nier compound and anothersubstance.

14. A double coated photographic transparency having two positive imagesof the same object printed in alignment upon its opposite sides, one ofsaid images being oi a colored compound, and the other of said imagesbeing of a compound of a complomentary color formed by the reaction oisaid former compound and another substance.

15. A double coated photographic transparency having two positive imagesof the same object printed in alignment upon its opposite sides, one ofsaid images being of a compound having a red color, and the other ofsaid images being of a green colored compound formed by the reaction ofsaid former compound and another substance.

16. A double coated photographic transparency having two positive imagesof the same subject printed in alignment upon its opposite sides, one.of said images being of a red colored compound formed from a uraniumsolution, and the other of said images being of a green colored compoundformed by the reaction of said former con'ipound and a ferrie saltsolution.v

17. A photographic process comprising iinprinting,'in alignment, uponopposite sides of light-transn'iissive material, sensitized upon bothsides, two images from negatives of the same subject, rendering theimages in the same color, and converting one ot' said colored images toa different color.

Signed at the city of New York, in the county of New York, and State ofNew York, this ltli day of January, A. D. 1919.

ARTURO HERNANDEZ-MEJIA.

